The Crossing of Paths
by DesiWood
Summary: Des goes through all sorts of bad things, but she's not doing anything...
1. Default Chapter

It was a bright sunny day. The ocean was very calm and breezy. Her bright blue eyes were shining in the sun. And there was a boy....Dean....Her boyfriend...and they were walking.....hand in hand......smiling...then he whispered something in her ear....what was he saying?...and then he gave her a kiss on her cheek...and BAM!! Des woke up suddenly in the middle of the night. It was a dream. 'Oh god...that was a dream?'   
  
But she couldn't think much more about it because she heard a large noise down in the common room. Quickly she forced herself to wake up as she quietly went downstairs. When she reached the common room, it was no wonder. There were five owls in the common room and they seemed to knocked over everything. One of them was hers.  
  
As she twirled some of her blonde hair, she heard a noise upstairs. She glanced at the ceiling and thought 'What the heck is going on?' Several thumps were heard, but she turned back to the owl problem.  
  
Tulip, her owl, flew to her and chirped. "Come on, Tulip, Let's go." She walked toward the door hoping she would follow, but her owl stayed still. In fact, all of the owls were completely silence. "TULIP!" But her owl would not budge. She decided to go back to her bed. If it was one thing she hated, it was her owl when she was being stubborn.  
  
* * * * *  
  
A few hours later when everyone else had woken up, She got up out of bed and strolled down the stairs. Everyone was crowded around the middle of the room, and she squeezed through to see what was so important.  
  
Apparently, a house elf had come in to clean after Des had gone back to sleep, and someone had tried to attack him and he became petrified. Her owl or any of the owls were no where to be seen.  
  
She glanced around the room, looking for Hermione. She spotted her right away, balling her eyes out with a few other people around her trying to calm her down.  
  
"Hermione? Are you alright?"  
  
Hermione glanced up. "Am I alright? Am I? Does it look like it? Why did this happen? I mean it's not like it was his...." and fell into loud sobs.  
  
But Des wasn't paying attention. She realized she had recognized the elf. It was Dobby, the only house elf who was willing to clean the Gryffindor Tower because of all the clothes that Hermione was knitting.  
  
She hurried back to Hermione. "Come on, you need some food."  
  
"Since when do you know or care about what I need?"  
  
"Just shut up and let's go." As they both walked down to the Great Hall, Hermione slowly stopping from crying. They came across Nearly Headless Nick, and he talked with them until they reached the Hall, and departed.  
  
But before they could even take two steps in to get food, Peeves floated in front of them and stopped them. "Wood, saw your work last night. Thought you could get away with it, eh?"  
  
"What work?" Des glanced at his eyes, and he looked as though he knew something she didn't.  
  
"Late last night, sneaking up on those owls, and causing the owls to yell and then the elf to see what was happening, and YOU" He pointed at her with his ghostly finger in her face "YOU, petrified that poor elf."  
  
"I don't even know how to petrify someone, Peeves. Besides, you don't know what really happened."  
  
Hermione glared as she looked up. "You killed the elf! You....You.... ELF KILLER!" And with that she ran back to the dorm, screaming and crying at the same time.  
  
"Peeves, now, seriously, that didn't even happen! I don't even know how the owls even got there..."  
  
"Guilty until proven innocent.... Oh there you are Headmaster, I was wondering when you would come to see what this student has done." Peeves again pointed at Des.  
  
Dumbledore appeared swiftly with Gryffindor prefect Rose Black following him.  
  
"Peeves, what are you talking about?" Dumbledore glanced back and forth from Des to Peeves.  
  
Rose spoke up and pulled back some of her shoulder length chestnut colored hair.  
  
"Well maybe it has to do with the elf in the common room this morning. I saw him when I woke up, but I wasn't sure what was going on, so I reported it to you."  
  
"Look, I woke up in the middle of the night and-" Des attempted to explain.  
  
"Petrified a poor elf, who hadn't even seen it coming..." Peeves interrupted.  
  
"Trying to make stuff up to get me in trouble again, Peeves?"  
  
"At least you caught on this time-"  
  
Dumbledore coughed loudly. "Enough. I have no idea what is going on, but you," he said throwing his hand in the general vicinity of where Des was," you will need to explain yourself. I'm not saying I believe him, but if you really are innocent, You will obviously need protection of some sort....Miss Black?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Take Miss Wood back to my office, while I go and collect her owl."  
  
Within a split second, he was gone. And they departed towards his office.  
  
Rose glanced at Des, who was sporting a very worried look.  
  
"Des, what happened?"  
  
Des threw her arms up in the air."I'm telling you... I woke up in the middle of the night.." She continued telling the whole story and as she finished Dumbledore appeared and they entered his office.  
  
"Where has your owl gone?" Dumbledore questioned, looking worriedly at her.  
  
"I haven't seen it since last night-"  
  
"When she heard a loud noise." Rose finished for her. Desi nodded.  
  
'What is going to happen to me??? Will I ever to get to see anyone at this school again? And it's all because of Peeves, that downright evil-'  
  
"Destiny. You will now take care of Matthew, a phoenix and you must not go around the school by yourself at the middle of the night-"  
  
"I COULDN'T SLEEP!"Des yelled as a she stood up.  
  
Dumbledore didn't look threatened. "You need to go to back to the common room. Take Matthew with you." He handed her the large phoenix. "He must not go to the owlery. I am not sure why, but many of our owls are.... missing..."  
  
But Des didn't even hear any of that, she was already halfway out the door and Matthew was leading the way. She was running down the hallway and as she turned the corner, she saw Lee in front of her. "Lee!"   
  
"Yo," Lee said, turning to face Desi "whoa, slow down!" as Desi skidded to a stop. "Is that-"Lee glancing up at Matthew,"Yours?"   
  
Des looked at him as well. She could tell he was very intimidating." Well, for now..."  
  
"Wow, that's so....cool."  
  
"Yeah, well, it's for protection. At least that's what I think. Well, where are you going on holidays?"  
  
Lee held out her hand and the phoenix perched on her. "Just home. Maybe go to Hogsmeade but nothing like Summer Holidays."  
  
Des took a quick look out the nearest window. It was snowing quite hard. She just wished that she wouldn't have to go back to her house....  
  
"What about you? Going to spend holidays with Jess again?"Lee asked as they walked towards the common room.  
  
"No, probably not...Think Jess is going to visit her family this holiday..But I'm not positively sure. Might just go home."  
  
Lee's eyes lightened up."Really?"  
  
"Yeah, and hey, if I do, we can probably celebrate the holidays or something..."  
  
"Yeah! Well... as long as you bring Dean, and I bring Lee Jordan... It's gonna be a good holiday this time around."  
  
"Yeah.."Des said as they climbed in the portrait hole. She was happy that she and Lee could hang out, but wasn't really looking forward to arriving at home.  
  
* * * * *  
  
The excitement of the winter holidays hadn't taken that long to spread contagiously throughout the school. Teachers even looked thrilled to get a vacation and celebrate at home. The only person who didn't seem very happy was Des.  
  
The next morning at breakfast before class, everyone was excited as it was the last day of class before departing. Mandy had brought her camera with her to breakfast and insisted that everyone at least get into one picture, but she ended up taking about 30 of Ron and James as they tried to escape her view.  
  
  
  
"Would you knock it off? Get that thing- AH!" Ron yelled as the flash went off continuously."Mandy!!" Ron turned bright red.  
  
"Fine, I'll give up, this time. But next time....."  
  
"There won't be a next time!"  
  
"Oh Come off it. You know.....See? James...and...yeah." She sat down and put her camera out of Ron's sight for the time being.  
  
James, Rose's boyfriend, ruffled his hair, and sat down after next to her when he finally gave up. Then he grabbed a handful of chocolate frogs.  
  
Mandy looked up. "What are two doing for the holidays??"  
  
James smiled."Ah. I don't know, probably just hang out."  
  
The bell rang and all of them got up and hurried off to class.  
  
"Dean." Des called out his name, not even realizing it. He turned around and smiled at her.  
  
"What? C'mon, we gotta get to class."  
  
Des caught up to him as they walked to Potions."I know. It's just.."  
  
"D, what are you doing this summer, anyways?"  
  
Suddenly she felt much better. "Nothing really. Probably going back to the hell hole where I live."He smiled.  
  
"You wanna hang out? Go and play quidditch or see a movie or something?"  
  
"Sure." They both smiled at each other and then she turned her head and walked into Potions.  
  
* * * * *  
  
  
  
Later that night, as everyone was supposed to be packing, Lee Jordan entertained everyone he could attract to some of the Weasley twin Products.  
  
"Now, I got all of these on my last trip in Hogsmeade and they said to wish you all the best.... all of their products are selling like crazy!"  
  
Slowly everyone who was still awake drifted up to bed. Eventually, only people left were Jess, Des and Mandy.  
  
Jess lay on the floor next to the fire. "Hey Mandy? Are you excited to go home?"  
  
"Well kinda. I mean, I get to develop all these cool pictures, and then bring them back and take MORE!"  
  
All three of them laughed.  
  
"What about you, Des? I mean I know last holiday you came home with me, so are you going home?"  
  
Des said hopefully, "Yeah. I am, and maybe it'll be fun. But Lee and I are gonna hang out this summer and I can hang out with you..."  
  
"Yeah. Hey Des? If you get bored or something, just use floo powder and come hang out with me."  
  
"Thanks all..." Des said  
  
Mandy laughed."Well it's been nearly-"  
  
... and before she knew it, she was asleep......  
  
Some one was yelling....."It's been nearly a day...DEAN! Come and HELP!" there were people standing over her, and Dean rushed to her side. "What's wrong?" She heard him say, but she couldn't speak. Then someone picked her up, and carried her up a few flights of stairs. Then girly screams. Then Kur-plunk...... look at the beautiful sky. Someone was calling her name. She turned around but no one was there. Whoever was playing with her mind better stop. She was here for fun in the sun. Suddenly she was being shaken and-  
  
"D!" Dean was standing over her in the girls dorm. Several girls were still screaming. "You fell asleep downstairs."  
  
"Oh. Haha." They both laughed for a few minutes. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow."  
  
"G'night D." And he closed the door and left. The screams were silently ending. So she hadn't imagined it. There was someone yelling her name, and he had carried her up the stairs. 'Wow,'She thought,'I must have been out cold....'  
  
* * * * *  
  
Lee woke Des up the following morning. The Hogwarts Express would be leaving around noon, and it was already 10. They both hurried down to drop their trunks off and cages, and then went for a quick breakfast. No one was at the table.  
  
"They must be outside..."Des guessed.  
  
"Nope. Look at the weather. They are probably back sleeping..." Lee grabbed some food and sat down. Every ten minutes someone would come down and join their table. Eventually Fenny and Rose came down and their table was crammed full.  
  
Fen smiled at Desi."Tell your brother I said hey."  
  
"Sure, Fen."  
  
Hermione glanced around."Go Ahead, Harry, tell them."  
  
Rose looked up hopefully. "Tell us what?"  
  
"Nothing." Harry looked down at his plate.  
  
Hermione continued for him."It is not nothing! I am surprised at you! Now, what did Cho say to you?"  
  
Harry glared at her."None of your bloody business. Just because you overheard it...."  
  
Dean explained in between bites."Don't badger him, Hermy." At the sound of that nickname, she cringed. "He doesn't like it when you do that."  
  
"Don't like when I do anything, do you?" Hermione was becoming very angry.  
  
"Hermione that's not what I said-"  
  
Ron, sitting next to her, began to say something but took it back and turned a very deep shade of red.  
  
Mandy looked over at him."What's wrong with you?" But Ron just shook his head.  
  
* * * * *  
  
After the train was near London, Dean and Des said their goodbyes.   
  
"Do you still wonder where your owl went?"  
  
"Nah. I mean yes, but this phoenix is great too. I'm sure that Tulip will return someday."They glanced unhappily at each other before hugging for the last time. As they both got off and grabbed their luggage, he whispered in her ear, "I love you," and disappeared.  
  
* * * * * 


	2. Luck at Home for the Holidays

* * * * *  
  
Destiny glanced around the platform after she arrived. She wasn't accustomed to coming home with her family, so this would be a first in a while. It took her a while, but at last she spotted the strong and tall guy she was looking for. It was her brother, Oliver, of course. He immediately recognized her and motioned her over.  
  
"Let's go, eh? Parents don't even know you're coming home." He rushed her through the station until they were outside. And since they were half-blood they took a muggle car and headed toward the suburban part of London.  
  
"You really had mum and dad worried, you know. Wondered where you went last holiday."  
  
"I told them I was going to a friend's house."  
  
"That wasn't what I heard." He opened his mouth to say something really cruel, but with the look on her face, he decided to hold back.  
  
"Probably not as worried as they were when you nearly chopped your head off playing quidditch in the middle of the night..."  
  
He looked over at her."Well, you could have said something..."  
  
They didn't talk for a few minutes, and in that much time, they were home. Oliver pulled up to a yellow house, two stories high. As they walked inside, Des prayed that her parents wouldn't go ballistic.  
  
And they didn't. Her mother sat knitting a blanket while watching the very famous show 'Trading Spaces' and every now and then saying something like "Wow!" or "Oh god!". Her father was reading the Daily Prophet and laughing.  
  
"That Cornelius.... Oh boy.."  
  
She didn't want to interrupt the fun, so she sneaked into the kitchen.  
  
"Well, Good Morning, Oliver. Where were you off to so early in the morning?"  
  
"Just the train station, Mum. Picked up a few old friends."  
  
She glanced up from her knitting."Like who?....Oh god! Look what they did to that poor room, it'll never be the same.."  
  
"Yeah, some friends." Oliver didn't have the patience to tell his mother that Des was standing in the kitchen overhearing everything that was going on, and probably running away again.  
  
Des glanced at her father. He seemed very calm. And he had thrown down the paper and was now getting up. Des sat up on the counter top. She knew he was probably coming in here.  
  
"Dear, a drink?"  
  
Mother simply just glanced up at Oliver."Who was it, Oliver?"  
  
Father went into the kitchen without an answer and from the living room, an "Oh my!" was heard, and then several minutes of laughter before she continued her interrogation.  
  
"My Goodness. When did you get back?"  
  
"Just now!"  
  
With that Mother rose out of her chair, shoved her knitting at Oliver's hands, who was very intently watching the show on tv.  
  
"Oh, Dear.... You're home?" She sounded neither happy nor sad, just about the same as always. Des was apparently showing her father some of the pictures that Mandy had had a chance to develop.  
  
"Yeah, Mum, home for Christmas." Des looked up at her. She was half smiling and had tears in her eyes. "What?"  
  
"Nothing... Nothing.. Where's your owl?"  
  
"Not exactly sure. Took off one night."  
  
**  
  
***  
  
**  
  
The telephone rang. Lee looked up. 'Where was the telephone?'  
  
She looked around only to find out that it was on the other side of the room.  
  
She got up and crossed the room, walking to the phone slowly.  
  
"Hello??"  
  
"Lee! How are you?!?!"  
  
"Jess?"  
  
"Yep, I'm here..."  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"Just got back from the good ol' family trip."  
  
"But didn't vacation just start?"  
  
"Well yes, but they started it before and....yeah. Very complicated. How are your poems coming along?" 


End file.
